Habit: Erechtites hieracifolia grows as a pubescent herbaceous annual to about 1.5 m in height (usually much shorter) when in flower. The leaves are arranged alternately, to 20 cm in length and with short petioles or sessile. The leaves are oblanceolate with an acute leaf apex and a serrate/toothed margin. The leaves have a sparse covering of pubescence.
There are both complete, perfect, and incomplete imperfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in heads. The head is subtended by 2 sets of phyllaries forming an urn shaped involucre. The calyx has been reduced to a series of fine hairs (pappus).
The outer carpellate flowers the corolla has 5 fused, yellow/white petals, no stamens and a single carpel. The inner perfect flowers have 5 fused, yellow/white petals, 5 stamens that are fused to the inside of the corolla tube with an inferior ovary has a single locule. The fruit is a ribbed achene that retains the pappus at maturity. The pappus aids in aerial fruit/seed dispersal.
Habitat: Erechtites hieracifolia grows in Human Altered environments such as yards, roadsides and abandoned fields.
Distribution: Erechtites hieracifolia is Not Native to the Lucayan Archipelago but does occur throughout the islands. It is native to North America but is now occurs in Europe, Asia, and the south Pacific region.
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Erechtites hieracifolia is not used medicinally in the Bahamas